Sorry folks, this isn't a post about the Rocky Horror Picture Show. But on the other hand it is kind of a horror and pretty rocky (ok sorry for the semi pun-- I heard a pun off on NPR yesterday and it seems to be taken. Ken Walker, if you are reading this, the puns are so your fault). Anyway, "It's almost a time warp" is quote from Sylvia Ann Hewlett about the findings of a new report on, yup, women and science from the Center for Work Life Policy. An article in today's International Herald Tribune covers some of the really depressing, but big sigh, not surprising findings.

For example: "based on data from 2,493 workers (1,493 women and 1,000 men) polled from March 2006 through October 2007 and hundreds more interviewed in focus groups, the report paints a portrait of a macho culture where women are very much outsiders, and where those who do enter are likely to eventually leave."

The article quotes the report as saying 75 percent of women age 25 to 29 being were described as "superb," "excellent" or "outstanding" on their performance reviews, words used for 61 percent of men in the same age group. But an exodus occurred "around age 35 to 40. Fifty-two percent drop out, the report warned, with some leaving for "softer" jobs in the sciences human resources rather than lab bench work, for instance, and others for different work entirely. That is twice the rate of men in the SET industries, and higher than the attrition rate of women in law or investment banking."

And to make it worse "the reasons pinpointed in the report are many, but they all have their roots in what the authors describe as a pervasive macho culture."

Swear, swear, swear (that was how my daughter suggested I replace &#@* or all those words that NSF might not like me to type). If you get a chance to read the article do so and as soon as the report is out, we will blog on it.

In the meantime I'm going out for a bike ride. I badly need the endorphins.